Unexplained juvie death!

[elizabeth]

My friend, who I had given a juvie to just called me telling me her C.O. juvie died. I went over, but couldn't figure a cause of death.
The juvie lived in a large storage container with a shallow "mote" of water around it, and the land part was decorated with smooth shells and rocks.
She had just told me her newt had eaten a piece of shrimp about 10 minutes before he died. But cooked shrimp has never hurt my newts...so...?
All the juvie ate in the 3 weeks he was alive was cooked shrimp and frozen bloodworms. The only thing that I could find that could have been a cause of death was overheating. Even with her AC on, it was a tad hot in there. Could that have been it? I dont know anything that could have killed a healthy juvie in such a short period of time. But he's not moving, legs all curled up in rigor and even when flipped on his belly he wont move. I have no idea what went wrong. But suggestions on what did and how to prevent it would be nice.

 

[jeff]

If temperatures were over 80 for a considerable length of time then the newt could have easily died due to heat stress, especially if the container the newt resided in has a non-ventilated lid.

(Message edited by tmarmoratus on July 05, 2005)

 

[jeff]

...then again, if the newt was eating 10 minutes prior to death then it probably wasn't heat stress, as that likely would've stifled the newt's appetite. I'd say the death was most likely caused by the food.

 

[elizabeth]

The lid had enough holes in it to be ventilated. I mean, my friend basically mutilated the lid on holes. xD

It could probably be the food. The last thing he ate was a piece of pre-cooked shrimp my friend bought from a grocery store. There must have been something off with the shrimp. However her mom ate some of the shrimp and didn't get sick...so I have no clue...

 

[jennifer]

I too am a bit suspicious of the cooked shrimp. If her mom ate some, was it perhaps cooked in salted water? Also, my gut instinct would be that it would be better to use shrimp raw, not cooked.

 

[elizabeth]

Really? Raw? I always thought raw shrimp would make the newt sick...but it was different pre-cooked shrimp than the ones I fed my newts. Mine was some small pink kind without tails. Her's were much larger, were also pink, but still had their tails on. They must have been cooked differently. I warned her about the shrimp, so the tadpoles she has will be on a strict bloodworm diet from now on. :3